A locally owned classic country station aims to reflect the community and to bring many listeners back to the days of their youth.

According to Anna Rahn, general manager and part owner, the group the owns KQPR Power 96 had hoped to acquire an AM station.

In May that became a reality when they purchased KNFX from Clear Channel, a company out of San Antonio, Texas. After changing the station back to its old call letters KQAQ, Classic Country Legends 970 AM went on air June 9, 2008.

“We definitely feel like we’ve filled something in this area that people were wanting and weren’t able to get anywhere else,” Rahn said.

They chose classic country because it is a unique format that Rahn said they felt was missing from the area.

“We’re finding from the feedback ever since we turned it on the air, people are absolutely loving it,” Rahn said. “They miss the true country legends.”

This format includes music from the 1980s all the way to the 1930s, Rahn said. She said this would include artists like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., Hank Williams Jr., Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Roger Miller, the Oak Ridge Boys and many more.

“Our station is so unique, and you just can’t find this format anywhere else,” Rahn said. “We’re finding that going out and pursuing affiliate programs has been difficult for us, Because every time we pursued one they all keep trying to throw new country in.”

Because of this, Rahn said they have started forming their own programs.

“One of them particularly is ‘God’s Country’,” Rahn said. The show that airs from 7 to 9 a.m. Sundays. “Every true country legend typically has a gospel CD or two or three of them.”

KQAQ is locally owned, which Rahn said is unique in this day. Ron Hunter, program director, said that since the Telecommunications Act of 1986, larger companies such as Clear Channel, have owned stations. Because of this, the community focus of radio has been lost, he said.

“Before the Telecommunications Act came through, it was really about the communities that the stations were based in,” Hunter said. “After the big companies got involved, it really became more about profit and not service. That was never really radio’s intention.”

Hunter said he defines classic music as music that causes listeners to recall memories of their youth.

Classic music “is bringing them back to days of their youth and bringing back memories, a whole flood of memories,” Hunter said. “You may hear a song come on and say, ‘Oh man, I remember this: We were at the movie theater. I was dating so-and-so. Here’s a story about that.’ That’s really what classic is. It brings back these memories.”

Classic County Legends 970 AM brings back memories to some viewers, and is aimed at people the age of 35 and older. But Rahn and Hunter both said they’re surprised by the number of younger listeners attracted to the station.

“One of the things that has been so surprising to us, because we just didn’t see it coming, is the younger listeners that are absolutely loving this radio station,” Rahn said. “You know, ‘Guitar Hero’ kind of brought back classic rock for the younger generation. I think the younger generation very much admires and loves listening to the old classic country legends like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.”

Hunter said the station aims to reflect the community. Hunter said they’ve been successful so far because they’ve received a great deal of unsolicited mail from pleased listeners.

Aside from classic country music, the station also has Fox News updates each hour and airs the midday farm report through Linder Farm Network, Rahn said. They also broadcast NASCAR sprint races. They also have the “Cowboy Show” with Ken Overcast every Friday. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Hunter said the next step is to expand their music library. While they started with 1,600 songs, Hunter said that number has doubled and they’re always looking to expand their music library.

“There are still nuggets of gold out there in the mines, and we’re going to get them,” Hunter said. “And we’re going to put them on the air, especially if they fit into that classic country legend category.”

With programs up and running, Rahn said the next step for the station is to continue fine tuning.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Rahn said. “We still have tons of songs to load into our playlist. … We have lots of ideas. Keep listening because I think it’s a good strong radio station now, and it will just keep getting bigger and better as we move along.”